Twister.



A. DUDLEY.

TWISTER. APPLICTlON FILED .061'. 20. i915.

Patented Feb. 26,1918.

1 2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

WITNESSES: Q. 51%

A. T. UDLEY.

TWISTEB.

APPLICATION man ocT. zo. m5.

l ,257,467 Patented Feb. 26, 1918,

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2M@ .WW/ v mma/ff@ ANDREW T. DUDLEY, OF HOUSTON, TEXAS.

Twisrn'a.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 26, 1918.

Application filed October 20, 1915. Serial No. 56,856.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be itv known that I, ANDREW T. DUDLEY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Houstomin the county of Harris and State of Texas, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Twisters, of which thefollowing is a specification.

rIhis invention relates to new and useful improvements inra twister,and'is specially designed for twistingtogether the ends of the balingwires employed in forming bales of hay or other similar material.

The object of the invention isto provide a device of the characterdescribed by means of which baling wire may be secured around bales.

Another object of the inventionresides in the provision of tensionfingers by means of which the wire is securely held in the disksexcepting during the rotation thereof and-released so as to permit acertain amount of slippage while the disks are being rotated.

A further feature of the invention resides in the provision of cutterswhereby the wire is severed after it is secured around the bale.

With the above and other'objects in view the invention has particularrelation to certain novel features of construction, operation, andarrangement of parts, an example of-which is given in this specificationand illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein Figurel is a sideelevation of the device, with certain parts removed forthe sake ofclear-ness,

F ig. 2 is a frontl view thereof,

Figs. 8 and 4 are edge and side views respectively of the cutters,

Fig. 5 is a side elevation showing a reverse view from that shown inFig. 1,

Fig. 6 shows a plan view showing the needle inserted through the device,

Fig. 7 shows a plan view with the needle in a partially withdrawnposition, and

Figs. 8 to 12 show detached parts of the mechanism for operating thedisks.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing wherein like numerals ofreference designate similar parts in each of the figures the numeral 1refers to the baling chamber wherein the bale is formed and to the sideof which the twisting device herein described is secured. The numeral 2refers to the twister frame which is secured to the baling chamberarid-has three parallel bearings 3, 3,

3,0ne above the other wherein rotate the respective shafts 4, i, et, tothe outer ends of which are secured bevel pinions 5, 5, 5, and the innerends of which are formed into twister hooks 6, 6, 6. mesh with therespective bevel gear wheels 7,7, 7, which are iixed on the verticalshaft Y Sfrotatable in the rbearings 9, 9 projectingout from the frame2. The lower end of the shaft-,8A has the bevel pinion 10 fixed thereonfor a purpose to be hereinafter setforth. A drive shaft 11 is providedand is arranged to be clutched with and declutched froma suitable motor,the motorand clutch mechanisin not being shown sincethey form-no part ofthe twisting device proper. Fixed upon one end of the shaftll is thedisk 12, the rim of whose face is beveled as at 13, a section of saidbeveled portion having gear teeth 14, which mesh with and cause acomplete lrotation of the pinion 10 as the disk ro` tates. 15whosevinner side is formed into an oblong face 16 which rests against theannular rib, or track 17, on the face of the disk 12,. and bylmeans ofwhich the pinion 10 is prevented ,from turning except when in engagementwiththe teeth 14. The portion of the track opposite the teeth 14 isremoved So that when said teeth mesh with the pinion 10 said pinion willbe free to rotate. The rotation of the pinion 10 is imparted, throughthe meclr anism just described, to rotate the shafts et and the twisterhooks 6, the mechanism being so geared that a rotation of the pinion 10will cause two rotations of said hooks.

Disposed at right angles to the shafts ,4 and rotatably mounted in thebearingslS, 18, 18, carried by the frame 2, are the ydisk shafts 19, 19,19, and fixed upon the outer ends of these shafts are the clutch disks20, 20, 20, said shafts extending beyond said disks and having therespective spur gear wheels 21, 21, 21 looselymounted thereon.

The opposite sides of each clutch disk 20 100 has three radiatingshoulders arranged at uniform distances apart, one side of each shoulderbeing abrupt and the other sloping, the. shoulders on opposite sides ofthe disk sloping in the reverse direction and being arranged instaggered relation. The faces of each of the gears 21 and the bearings18 adjacent the corresponding; clutch disk 20, have the respectivesockets 24, 25, in which are the respective pins 26 and 2'Tseatefion 110The pmions 5 are in e0 The pinion 10 has an extended neck 30 has atorsional spring "the other end to its bearing.

40 has two disks 39 the corresponding resilient seats 28 and 29, saidpins normally projecting behind the corresponding shoulders 22 and Arack member 30 is provided, which is in mesh with the gear wheels 21 andwhich is reciproca-ted through the link 31. One end ot this link ispivoted to said rack member and the other end thereof is pivoted to oneend ot' the arm 32, which is integral with the shat't i0 33, thislast-mentioned shaft being rotatably mounted in suitable bearings Bil,3i carried by the trame 2. rlhe shaft 33 also has the arm 35 extendingat right angles thereto and the tree end of which has a roller bearing36 arranged in the path ot the cam 57 carried by the back ot the disk 12and when said cam contact-s with said bearing it operates to partiallyrotate the. shaft 33 and exert a downward pull on the rack member 30,

2O thereby rotatino` the gear wheels 21 one-third e D c:

of a revolution. rlhe pins 26 engaging be hind the shoulders 22 torcethe clutch disks and the shafts 19 on which they are mounted, to performone-third ot a rotation and the pins 27 during this movement are 31,causing the rack member to move upwardly, reversing the rotation ot thegears 21 and carrying the pins 26 back until they engage behind the nextsucceeding shoulder 22. The inner end of each ot the shafts 19 fixedthereon and spaced apart, each of said disks having three peripheralalined notches r-lO to receive the wire said notches being spaced auniform distance apart.

Tension levers Ll-1, l1, i1 are provide-d. which are pivoted to thetraine @ne end ot cach lever is arcuate d rests between thecorresponding disks 39 and the opposite ends ot the levers havevertically alined orifices through which the rod l2 extends loosely`said rod having nuts 113 secure l thereon and normally in Contact withthe ends of the corresponding levers e1. livoted to this rod is thelever ai, which is 'tiilcrumed upon the trame and whose outer end has aroller bearino #l5 arranged in the )ath et the de pression '-16 which isin the periphery ot the 1 1^ iA disk 12. The bearing so normailv res-.s

against the periphery the disk 12 whicl:

operates through the lever Lll the rod and the tension levers 41 to holdthe arcuate ends of said last-mentioned levers rmly against the wiresresting in the notches ot the disks 39. The mechanism is so geared thatwhen the twister hooks 6, 6, 6 begin to turn the depression i6 will beopposite the bearing 45 and the tension on said levers 41 will be released. The wires will thus be iirmly held in said disks when the hooksare stationary but when they begin to turn the tension will be released,permitting a certain amount of slippage so as to prevent breaking ot thewires by the turning ot said hooks. Arranged alongside the twister hooksare the vertical cutter bars 47 and 4,8, the toriner ot which is linedto the trame and the latter ot which has vertical slots 49, therethrouglthrough which the bolts 50, 50 extend. rEhese bolts are secured to thebar i7 and have enlarged heads to secure the bars together and permitthe vertical movement ot the latter relative to the former. These barshave alined notches 51, 51, 51 opposite the twister hooks 6, saidnotches haring converging cutting edges and the respective disks. 39carry the corresponding wires into said notchesA lFixed to the bar 48are the laterally extending wings 52, arranged slightly above thecorresponding notches 51, and the wires are carried by the needles 53underneath said wings, which operate to cause the wires to engage aroundthe hooks 6 as is illustrated in Figi 6. Arranged underneath tlie wings52 and in alinement therewith are the stripper hooks 54, 54, 54, whichare also fixed to the bar 48, These hooks engage underneath the wiresand strip the twisted ends thereof from said hooks when the bar i8 ismoved upwardhv` as will presently be described.

Rotatably mounted in the bearing 55, carried by the traine 2 is a shaft56 and Xed to the respective ends thereof are the Oppoitely extendingarms 57 and 58, the tree end or' the latter ot which is pivoted to thelower end ot the bar e8 and the free end ot the tormer ot which has theroller bearing wnicli projects into the eccentric groove 60 in the taceof the disk 12. This groove is cam shaped and is formed so that itsouter wall will bear against the bearing 59 and after the knot is formedwill torce the tree end ot the arm in toward the center ot' the disk 12,thereby elevating the tree end ot the arm 58 and the bar i8 connectedthereto thus severing the wires resting in the notches 51 and strippingthe twisted wire ott the twister hooks 6, 6, 6, and said groove is soformed as tohold said bar temporarily in its elevated position while theneedle 53 is being withdrawn so that Jthe wire as it is carried back bythe needle will engage against the outer end ot the corresponding hook54, and is there held until the bar descends. when said wire passesunder the wings :32, 52 and is b v them directed around the twisterhooks.

The operation of the device is as tollows:-

When the bale is completed the disk 12 is clutched with the drivingmeans through the operation of a mechanism forming no part of thisinvention and which it will not be necessary to describe, and saidmechanism also operates to drive the needle around the completed baleand into the position shown in Fig. 6. The needle carries the wire intoengagement with the opposing notch 40 of the disks 39. Thereupon the cam37 comes into contact with the opposing bearing 36, operating throughthe mechanism described to rotate the shaft 33 and exert a downward pullon the rack member 30 through the link 31. The disks 39, 39 are therebyturned one-third of the way around carrying the wire down into theopposing notches 51 and from thence it passes around the twister hooksG. The bevel teeth 14 have at this point reached the pinion 10 andimpart to it a single rotation, causing a double rotation of the hooks 6which twist the wire and secure it around the bale. Simultaneously withthis movement of said hooks 6 the bearing 45 drops into the depression46, thereby releasing the tension levers 41 from the wire and permittingthe necessary slippage of the wire in the disks 39. 1When the wires havebeen secured as explained the tree end of the arm 57 is depressed andthe corresponding end or" the arm 58, and the bar 4Q, are elevated,severing the wires and stripping them from the hooks. r1`he needle 53 isthen withdrawn leaving the free end of the wire secured in the disks 39and drawing said wires around the outer ends of the hooks 54 and acrossthe baling chamber preparatory to the formation of another bale.Meanwhile the cam 37 has released the bearing 36 and the tension of thespring 3S will operate to reverse the rotation of the shaft 33 with theresult that an upward pull will be exerted on the rack 30 reversing therotation of the gears 21 but without etl'ect upon the shafts 19 and thedisks 39 fixed thereon; also the bearing 45 will have passed thedepression 46 and will again be forced outwardly by the periphery ot'the disk 12, again exerting a tension against the wires in disks 39, andsecuring them firmly therein, through the mechanism hereinbeiioredescribed, and the device will then be in position to repeat theoperation of securing the wires around the next succeeding bale.

That 1 claim is .p

1. A device of the character described including a frame, a plurality oftwister hooks, means for rotating said hooks for twisting a knot inbaling wire, and combined cutter and stripping means adjacent the hooksfor cutting "the baling wire and stripping from the hooks the knotsformed thereon.

A device of the character described including a trame, a plurality oftwisting hooks, means for rotating said hooks, a reciprocating cutterbar arranged alongside of said hooks, and means fixed to the cutter barfor automatically stripping from the hooks the wire looped therearound.

3. A wire twisting device including a frame,a plurality of twisterhooks, a common for rotating said hooks simultaneously, a notchedreciprocating cutter bar arranged alongside said hooks, disks havingwire-engaging means, means for imparting successive partial rotations tosaid disks and a tension mechanism engaging against the wire in eachdisk, and'securing the `wire therein when the twister hooks .are at restbut releasing the same when the twister hooks rotate.

4. A wire twisting device embodying in its structure a plurality oftwister hooks, a means tor rotating said hooks, coperating cuttersarranged alongside said hooks, a disk having wire-engaging meansarranged opposite each hook to engage with the wire to be twisted andcarry the same between said cutters, means for imparting successivepartial rotations to said disks, and means movable with the cutter barfor stripping the wire from said hooks.

5. A wire twisting device embodying in its structure a plurality oftwister hooks, a means for rotating said hooks cooperating cuttersarranged adjacent said hooks, a disk having wire-engaging means arrangedopposite each hook to engage with the wire to be twisted and carry thesame between said cutters, means for impartingY successive partialrotations to said disks, and a tension device engaging against the wirein each disk and securing the same therein when the twister hook is atrest but releasing thewire when the twister hook rotates.

6. A device of the character described including a iframe, a pluralityof twister hooks, a disk in which the wire is gripped, means torrotating said hooks, and a guide for each hook against which the wire tobe twisted engages and by means of which said wire is directed intoengagement with said hooks.

7. A device o the character described in-v cluding a frame, a pluralityot twister hooks, means for gripping the wire, a common means forrotating said hooks simultaneously and a wire guide for each hook fordirecting the wire into engagement therewith.

8. A device of the character described including a frame, a plurality ottwister hooks, means for rotating said hooks, a single reciprocatingcutter bar arranged along the side of said hooks, and a wire guidecarried by the cutter bar for each hook.

9. A device of the character described including a frame, a twister hookrotatably mounted in the frame, and a movable wire guide carried by amovable element whereby tlie Wire to be twisted is directed intoengagement with the hoek.

l0. A device of the character described including a frame, a plurality.of twister hooks, means for rotating said hooks, ci disk having wireengaging means arranged opposite enc-li hook to engage With the Wire tobe twisted a tension device engaging against the Wire in each disk andsecuring the same therein when the twister hook is at rest -mnd meansfor automatically releasing said tension deifioe from the Wire when thetwister hook rotates.

1l. A Wire twisting device including a plurality of twister hooks, meansfor actuating seid hooks, and a single combined cnt- Gopies of thispatent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the ter andguide mechanism cooperating-With all of said hooks.

12. A Wire twistingdevioe including a disk having a Wire engagingmeans,means 20 for Simperting successive vrotations to said disk, and emovablereleasable tension mech- :mism for holding and releasing the Wirein sii-id disk et intervals.

.In testimony whereof I have signed my .'15 name to this specificationin the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

ANDREW T. DUDLEY.

Titnesses ANNIE CARY, FLonnNoE GREENOUGH.

Commissioner of Patents Washing en, I). C

